


Red

by mjoInir



Category: Baby Driver (2017)
Genre: Angst, Blood and Injury, Canon Compliant, Eventual Fluff, Eventual Happy Ending, Eventual Relationships, Eventual Smut, Explicit Language, F/M, Getaway driver, Mostly Canon until the end, Pre-Canon, Running from the law, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-29
Updated: 2019-04-07
Packaged: 2019-10-19 02:33:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,101
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17592971
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mjoInir/pseuds/mjoInir
Summary: Cherry worked for Doc as a getaway driver, which is how she met Griff. She never intended to start anything with him, but it all sort of happened, and she'd be lying if she said she regretted it.





	1. Another Day, Another Dollar

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, I'm kinda just Jon Bernthal trash now, I've accepted it. This is mostly canon, but the ending is a little different here. Also, imagine Robert Downey Jr as Doc bc ew Kevin Spacey.

Virginia Clancy, Gina to her two friends, and Cherry to her work "friends", was walking down the city street, towards the office space. She had gotten a call from Doc that morning, and really, whenever he called, she answered.

Virginia met Doc after she had gotten arrested for street racing, and he had bailed her out on one condition — she come work for him. He couldn't afford anyone else snagging her, she was too good.

She came from a family of mostly mechanics and nurses, but her brother had gotten her into boosting cars and racing them. It was a thrill; and she usually was left itching for her next fix. Doc had her as one of two of his drivers, and _just_ the driver after a sting gone wrong, and she ended up killing a civilian because she panicked. She was not a hardened criminal, and frankly, Doc had a soft spot for her. So he worked her into heists as just the getaway driver (much like his other driver, come to think of it). She was a damn good driver, which was the only reason Doc let her stay in the car.

She exited the elevator, sunglasses still on her face, noticing she was last to arrive. All were new faces, other then Doc's, she only worked with a few people more then once.

One man was covered in tattoos, and all she could guess was that they were from prison time, or at least several of them. Maybe not all. He was built like a brick, and she assumed he was going to be the muscle — the crowd control. The one across from him sat pretty with a smile, he was lithe and probably very quick on his feet. The last one, sitting closest to Doc, looked particularly quiet natured, but there was this anger behind his eyes, and she sat down without a word.

Doc turned from the chalkboard, "Ah, last but never the least."

Virginia rolled her eyes behind her sunglasses, crossing her arms across her chest as she sat back in her chair. "Bite me, Doc,"

Doc only chuckled before returning to the plans. "Axe, J.D., Griff, meet Cherry, your getaway driver."

"Cherry?" inquired Griff with an eyebrow raised, a smug smile crossing his lips, eyes flickering over her red hair behind his sunglasses. "Might as well call you Red."

"You gonna listen to the plan, or keep running your mouth?" Virginia snarked, removing her sunglasses, staring at him. In the beginning, she probably would've kept her mouth shut, but she had gotten used to the criminal types after her time around them.

He only grinned at her.

Doc let out a low sigh before continuing, "Alright, _children_ , back to work." He paused, gesturing to the map he had sketched out, "You'll all be wearing yellow bandanas — make it look more like gang initiation or some bullshit. You'll pull up at 9am sharp, there will be slow morning traffic inside, and J.D. you'll need to get into the back room where they keep the vaults, and Axe and Griff you get the money at the front. 50k to each if you grab what you're going there for. Cherry, you're in charge of getting a second getaway car into a parking garage so you can switch out once you've lost the cops. Any questions? No? Good, see you all here at 8:30am tomorrow."

Virginia was the first to stand, putting her sunglasses back on her face. Griff stood, starting towards the elevator after her.

"I'll take this one, alone," and she blew him a kiss before hitting the 'close door' button, leaving him standing on the other side, with a smug grin adorning his features.

Virginia admitted that he was very handsome, but she pushed those thoughts aside. It typically was not a good idea to get involved with people that she worked with — or really anyone, to be perfectly frank. She did not want anyone else to get mixed up with this criminal underworld she had gotten involved with.

When she arrived back at her apartment, in a considerably nice part of Atlanta, she threw her sunglasses on the side table by the door (where her keys laid for her '70 Chevy Chevelle, that she rarely used, it was a gift from Doc; cherry red with a chrome finish and frankly, gorgeous). She picked up her phone that was on the counter, as she never brought it with her whenever she met with Doc, or a crew. It had two messages on it, one from Nancy and the other from Heather, her only real friends. They knew nothing about what she did, just assumed her parents came from money and had gotten her a nice apartment.

Virginia claimed to work from home, sorting through files and paperwork, and she had to keep a lot of it secret, since she dealt with important people. Which was also how she explained why she was so well off in terms of money. Even though, Virginia saved most of the money she made, for a "rainy day", so to speak.

The girls offered to bring over pizza and have a girls night, but Virginia declined, offering to get together on a different day. She had a routine the night before a heist, and she liked to stick to it — not necessarily in a superstitious way, but simply out of habit.

She drank a single glass of red wine, and only a small amount, while she ordered from her favorite Italian place up the road. She listened to _Queen_ as she waited for it to be delivered, and then ate in her living room, watching re-runs of _Dexter_. Later on, she had a bowl of Cherry Garcia ice cream, and then retired to her bed.

It was only 7am when she woke, laying in bed for twenty minutes, thoughts focused on where she had left the second getaway car and all the routes that would lead to it, and how she could lead the police on a chase and still get to where she needed to go. Like any good driver, she was quick on her feet, or at least, quick to make important decisions on the fly. She knew most of Atlanta like the back of her hand, having driven the streets on nights when she couldn't sleep. The memorization was what made her an excellent getaway driver.

(And whenever Doc had a heist in a different town, he let her know quite a bit ahead of time so she had time to drive and learn it).

After showering, blow drying her hair and putting it up in a ponytail, she changed into jeans and a blouse, adding a black jacket that she buttoned all the way up. Whenever she changed cars, she took off her jacket and would let down her hair, so she looked different, even adding a different pair of glasses (the new pair was currently in the second getaway vehicle).

As per usual, she left early, simply to take a taxi away from her apartment, and then she jumped onto the subway down towards the office space. She did not meet up with Doc, but usually the first getaway vehicle was stashed somewhere near the building, usually a few blocks or more. Her burner phone buzzed, with the make and model of a Subaru, and she was first to the car, putting on her gloves before she touched anything. She slid into the driver's seat, adjusting her mirrors and her seat, and she patiently waited. Everyone was on time, J.D. passed her a bandana, as he was instructed, and she laid it under her leg.

Griff had taken the passenger seat, sunglasses of his own covering his eyes. All three men were dressed in casual suits, mostly to fit into the typical crowd of the bank. A brief thought of how good Griff looked in a suit crossed Virginia's mind, but she shoved it away as she began her drive.

She pulled up on the opposite side of the road to where their target is, taking notice to how traffic is moving. "Good luck, lovelies," she said, mostly to herself.

Griff was the only one to throw her a curious look, but all three men exited at the same time, moving towards the truck, where their weapons await. Each get a handgun to keep underneath their suit jackets, and then each had a briefcase with an automatic weapon. They're all wearing gloves, and they make their move towards the bank, pulling up their bandanas before entering.

Virginia waited patiently, tapping the steering wheel, humming along to the classic rock on the radio. It eased her nerves, as she watched traffic, glancing only briefly towards the bank. She looked completely normal to anyone passing by on the street, and they barely ever spared her a second glance.

She heard the unmistakable sound of someone hitting the silent alarm, and she could hear it blaring even from across the street. With her foot still on the break, she threw the car into drive, her heart beginning to pick up its pace.

J.D. was the first to exit, Axe hot on his heels, and Griff was last, but made up for it by sprinting to the passenger side. J.D.'s bag is full, as was the one Griff handed off to Axe, and once all the doors are closed, her foot is off the break.

Virginia drove down the Main Street, catching sight of two police cars quick to follow after her. With her knee on the wheel, she put on her bandana, and then made a quick left, the car drifting but doing exactly as she wanted. The car was flying down a side street, and there was a cop car at the other end, blocking most of the road, and there was shouting in the back seat ("You're gonna hit it!"), but she ignored him.

It seemed the people in the car did not quite know Atlanta streets like she did — and she swerved into a very narrow ally that led to the entrance to the highway. The morning rush hour traffic had only just begun, so Virginia knew that she had a few exits until it started to get backed up. Plenty of time, and she knew exactly which exit to get off on.

The car was pushing 120mph, flying down the highway like a black bullet. There was a single cop a few car lengths back, and Virginia glanced to her sideview mirror, seeing a line of cars with only a narrow gap to get through. She pushed her luck and turned the car into the gap, getting though three lanes in what seemed like a heartbeat, nearly missing her exit.

The three men glanced out the back window to see that the cop had to throw on his breaks, and he still missed the exit. J.D. cheered in the back seat, patting Virginia on the shoulder and squeezing. She knew they weren't quite out of the woods, but her lips quirked up all the same.

Virginia began weaving them down a bunch of side roads, and all three men did not know exactly where they were, or how far the second getaway vehicle was in relation to where they are. Griff sent the girl beside him a look, he had never driven with her before, but he could tell then why Doc had taken a liking to her. She was _fast_..

She drifted into the parking garage, pulling up next to the Chevy pickup truck she had parked there the night before. She left the Subaru running, getting out swiftly, pulling off her jacket, and following the men to the other car. J.D. got into the driver's seat, and Virginia settled for the back, where Griff slid in after her. She removed her bandana and adjusted her sunglasses, mumbling the drop-off address to J.D., who only nodded. Once at the drop-off point, they went their separate ways, knowing they'll get paid the following morning, at the office location (as per usual).

This time, Virginia was not last to the meet up, even having time to stop for coffee (black, with added chocolate syrup as its only sweetener). She sat, removing her new sunglasses, and took a sip of the hot coffee. Doc was counting the cash, barely paying attention. J.D. was standing, watching Doc silently, and Axe was last to join them. He looked angry, but Virginia had never seen him not angry, so there was that.

After all was square, and they were all paid, they collectively entered the elevator. It was unmistakably silent, which did not bother Virginia much — she preferred when everyone just shut the hell up. She got off the elevator first, mostly to get away from the testosterone, and made her way to the stairs to get to the ground floor. Her money was in her duffle bag, and as usual, she walked to the subway to get back to her apartment and sort out what to do with the cash.


	2. Old Pals

Virginia did not get a call from Doc for a whole week, which was not necessarily abnormal. She knew he had another driver, whom she had yet to meet — but she was sure she would not be meeting him, at least anytime soon. She was the second of the crew to arrive, stepping out of the elevator in a blazer and slacks.

"Buddy?" she inquired, looking over at the familiar man. She had worked with Buddy only once before, in an overnight sting operation, where he had taken a liking to the girl. Much like an older brother would — he taught her a few key moves to defend herself, and he made sure she knew how to shoot a gun.

He grinned at the woman, "Hey, Cherry,"

She sat down beside him, "At least I've got you, some of these guys are bozos."

Buddy only laughed, and Doc turned to scold her, "I _can_ hear you, you know."

Virginia rolled her eyes, glancing over at the opening elevator, watching as two new faces emerged. She spun around in her chair as Doc went over the plan, and all went according to the plan the following day. Buddy took the passenger seat, and the two shot comments back and forth until the getaway drive came. She typically liked it silent, to help her focus.

She made a good amount of money, and was able to banter with Buddy, which she found to be a comfort. They had never hung out outside of "work", but they knew they would be working together in the future.

* * *

It only took a few days for Doc to call her again, where she met three new faces, sitting down at the end of the table. She was happy, however, when she noticed a female face and she smiled at her. She went by Darling, and in Virginia's standards, she was pretty badass, in a skin tight red dress and leather jacket.

"Cherry, right?" Darling asked, on the way down the elevator; they had left the men behind and caught the elevator first.

Virginia turned her blue eyes towards the taller woman, and she smiled, "That's what they call me."

"I hear you drive mean," she paused, a small smile on her face, "that true?"

"Well, I sure as shit don't drive like a grandma."

Darling laughed.

The heist went smoothly, Darling snagging the passenger seat, muttering a low "Fuck off," to the two men in the back, wanting to sit beside the getaway driver. Virginia appreciated her, to say the least; she said exactly what she was thinking and gave no fucks. Sure, Virginia could be a bit of a sassy bitch when she wanted to be, but her confidence level wasn't quite in the range of Darling's. Perhaps she had been in the crime business longer.

True to what Darling had heard about Cherry, she drove like the devil — fast and unpredictable. Unpredictable was a great trait for a getaway driver — it left the cops unsure of where they were headed. And it was not very long before she lost the cops in a maze of side roads and alleyways. Darling took to driving the second vehicle.

The following day, PayDay, Darling and Cherry sat at the end of the table, continuing with their banter.

"Can you both stop with the catty bullshit?"

Cherry turned her icy eyes on the man behind her, "Why don't you go home and fuck your mom some more?"

Darling threw her head back in laughter, while the man got ready to throw a punch. Doc stopped him.

"Fucking children, I swear to God." Doc glanced at the man with his fist up, "You throw that punch and it'll be the last one you throw."

The man rolled his eyes, lowering his arm. (Doc never worked with him again).

* * *

The next job rolled around, and after exiting the elevator, she found that she was working with both Buddy and Darling. And by the look of it, they had worked together before, as Darling sat pretty in Buddy's lap.

"Cherry!" they chorused once she walked off the elevator. It seemed the girl had been mentioned between the two lovers, which she found oddly endearing.

She smirked at them, "Buddy and Darling, what a pair. I always forget how they say crime just brings people together."

"Oh, _sue me_ , Cher," said Darling. "I know what I want, and I take it."

Cherry pulled up her hands in fake defense, sitting down across from them, "Hey, hey," she paused, shrugging, "I'm happy for you."

They kissed and Cherry averted her gaze to the other person in the room, he looked semi-fresh faced. She wondered how Doc dragged him in or how he was involved in crime, but she did not question it, simply listened to the plan.

It had been awhile since a heist or robbery had gotten her in a jam. She praised her quick thinking; swerving around the cars coming towards her, as she had jumped into the opposite lane on the highway. She used the oncoming ramp as her exit, bringing the car back to the city streets, backing into the parking garage, her heart hammering against her ribcage, adrenaline flowing through her veins. It had been a little too close for her liking.

* * *

Living in a high rise apartment, with expensive items was never how she envisioned her future, but she sure as hell wasn't going to complain. She never had to grind at a job she hated, or devote time to a career she sort-of liked, or tolerate co-workers she would be forced to see every day in an office setting. Her original plan had been to be a nurse, or a doctor, as the fast paced environment would probably suit her well, but after being arrested, that plan was swept under the rug.

Two weeks passed, filled with tiny luxuries from the money she had made, including a whole new wardrobe, and only the finest foods. She began to wonder if Doc had forgotten about her, but that was the same moment her burner phone rang.

_"Noon, tomorrow."_


	3. The Bail Out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, so I edited the first two chapters a bit, added a little bit. It's not totally necessary to re-read them, but I'm adding this just in case you do. Sorry for my long absences, I'll try to be more regular. I changed my plan a bit for this story, nothing bad though! Just was able to draft out future chapters, along with a fairly good outline for the story. Enjoy!  
> Also! Thank you to both rebenok_zimnyaya and Hopeless_Romantic_Dreamer on their comments on the last chapter, I'm very glad I can add more Griff to your lives! lol. And also a thank you to browneyedsoul on their comment on the very first chapter. Also a thank you for all of you leaving kudos, means a bunch!

Virginia met at the designated time, noticing only one familiar face: Griff. And he was already grinning when she entered the room, watching her walk from the elevator to the table, where she took a seat across from him. She did not seem to be paying attention to Doc beginning to sketch out the plan on the board, or the three new faces emerge from the elevator.

She had her sunglasses on, tapping lightly on the table when everyone took a seat. Eventually, she dragged her attention away from her nails and to the task at hand.

It seemed like Griff was the one who was not paying attention, his focus mainly on the redhead in the room. He heard the major pieces, the important bits of the plan. Each heist, burglary, robbery, whatever, typically had the same basic outline — Griff was usually always the crowd control, a scare tactic, and that rarely changed.

When Doc released them with the departure time for the following afternoon, Griff made sure to catch the same elevator down as Cherry, who only raised an eyebrow as he entered right before the doors shut.

"Can I help you?" was all she said, placing her sunglasses back over her blue eyes.

"Sure can, Red," he paused, his tongue darting over his lower lip. "Lemme take you out tonight."

She raised an eyebrow, pursing her lips in amusement, "Only in your dreams, Griff,"

"I can show you a helluva good time," 

She rolled her eyes, "I don't think we'd define 'good time' quite the same."

"Oh, _come on_ , Red. Broaden your horizons." He rested his hands in his jean pockets, still looking particularly smug.

"If I agree, will you leave me alone?"

"Only if that's what you end up wantin', darlin'."

She sighed with a frown, "Fine." The elevator doors opened and she stepped off. "Tomorrow, after the heist, I know a good place to lay low."

He grinned, "I'll be there."

Virginia thought she might have lost her mind, grabbing a pen from her small purse (which really only held a few twenties, her metro card, the burner phone, and her keys) and then grabbing his right wrist. She scribbled her number on his palm quickly, she could easily change it if she needed to (she had the money to make it happen if need be). She left the man grinning as the elevator doors closed and she walked off towards the stairs.

* * *

Virginia did not quite understand why she was nervous when she woke up the following morning. She had never had a five person team before, so she thought perhaps that was what was messing with her nerves, because four people to carry out the heist was a particularly big team. She typically worked in a four person team, with three people to execute the heist (even once working with only two other people in a small robbery in the middle of the night).

While Virginia much preferred cars (as she was much better with them), she was given a truck for the heist, seeing as it fit all five members of the team much better (not to mention the cargo). Not to mention, it was a heavy hitter, if it came to that.

There was a bank on the edge of Atlanta that was known to hold some precious jewels, much like family heirlooms (gold and silver were most common, according to Doc's inside man) and diamonds. Each heist member had a decent sized duffel bag folded and tucked into their suits so it did not seem so obvious when they were walking in.

Virginia stayed in the rear of the building, car in park, foot hovering over the break, and waited. She was lightly tapping her fingers on the steering wheel, humming along to _The Clash_. It was lunch hour, a particularly dead time in the area, as most people were either eating lunch or stuffed up in their offices.

She caught the men running from the door in the back, and she flexed her fingers in her gloves, pulling up her bandana (red this time). She pressed onto the break and threw the car into reverse, her heart beginning to race. This was the thrill she was addicted to, the thrill of the oncoming chase.

The doors were barely slammed shut when she was already reversing the truck back onto the street. Trucks were much different than cars, because not only were they bigger and bulkier, but they did not handle quite the same as the cars she was used to.

This time around it was not quite a thrill she was feeling, it was mostly anxiety because trucks were not her forte. She wasn't bad with them, Doc would have never put her in one if she was, but she was far more comfortable with cars.

Which was probably why she was in the jam that she was. She had driven into a parking garage, believing she in the clear, and she was going to wait until the police cars passed until she went back onto the road again. But, at the last second, one cop car had seen the truck enter.

She was on the second level, and she knew they were going to have to bail — something she always prepared for, but never anticipated. Her eyes flickered over the parking garage and all the cars, spotting a 2015 black Audi Suburban. _Perfect_.

"All right, get out," she said, as calm as she could.

Everyone looked at her, semi-startled.

"Excuse me?"

"We gotta bail, come on!" And she was out of the car, running towards the Audi. She had only jumped a car like this once before and she hoped that it would go just as smoothly.

Everyone, thankfully, followed after her. She was able to jimmy open the lock, pull out the alarm, and start the car in just a matter of two minutes. And they were off again, a cool sweat breaking out across her skin, her heart hammering loudly in her ears.

They were able to get away, since the police weren't looking for an Audi, and made sure to adhere to the rules of the road, while also making a quick escape.

After a solid ten minutes, she entered the parking garage that was holding the SUV that would be their second getaway car (well, now their third).

As if sensing her anxiety, Griff went to the driver seat and did not question her. He would be seeing her later that night, after all. After dropping off the goods, they went their separate ways.

Griff waited until night descended to text the number she had given him, which he had entered into his personal phone under "Red".

When her phone lit up, Virginia was in her bath, trying to soothe her nerves. She had been so dumb in getting herself cornered so easily and so stupidly. She could think of at least a dozen other ways she could have handled the situation. The bulk of the truck had gotten to her — and she knew she needed to practice more, if only to soothe her own anxieties on the matter.

 _"8 okay with you, darlin?"_ the text read.

Virginia already knew who it was without even needing to ask, and she entered his name into her contacts as "Smug Asshole".

She answered within a few minutes, _"Meet me at Reese's 1900." ___

__She had a full forty minutes to get ready, and that was plenty of time for her. She had not gotten her hair wet, so she only ran a brush through her dark red hair. She changed into skinny jeans, a loose fitting blush colored blouse with a light black jacket. Applying only a bit more makeup than usual, she was out the door with the keys to her Chevelle in her hand._ _

__The drive was particularly soothing, the light flow of nighttime traffic and the streetlights reminded her of her restless drives when she could not sleep. She knew she could just drive and drive and drive, not getting really tired of the road, as she had become so accustomed to calling the road home. Especially working for Doc; even though he was one of the greatest in the business, she knew she would have to drop absolutely everything if things turned bad. With the road being home, it would never leave her homesick if she had to be uprooted._ _

__Reese's 1900 was a pub just on the outside of Atlanta and weeknights, while being busy, never felt really crowded. It was a good place with some good people, not to mention a few good eats and a good drink when you needed one._ _

__Griff was already waiting when she arrived, and although briefly in awe of her car, he was not surprised. Typical for a getaway driver to own an old muscle car._ _

__"Well, damn, Red."_ _

__She rolled her eyes, but offered a smile when she approached him. They each stole a glance around before entering the pub, mostly out of habit. In the business, it paid to be alert._ _

__They grabbed a table in the back, Griff stealing her usual seat with his back to the wall, facing the door. At the square table, she sat beside him, so she was still facing the door. Normally, to cool off, she would get a sweet red wine, but tonight she needed to relax._ _

__"Bourbon, neat, please." Virginia told the waitress, to which Griff raised his eyebrows, before ordering a beer._ _

__She only ever had one, switching to sweet tea, seeing as she never let herself drive buzzed or even slightly hazy. The risk just was never worth it._ _

__They were quiet at first, which generally surprised Virginia, as they watched the patrons. It wasn't until he took a sip of his beer that he turned his eyes back to her._ _

__"Why the bail out today?"_ _

__Her stomach dropped, and she turned her gaze to her drink, "Made a dumb mistake," she shrugged, looking back up at him and meeting his coffee-eyed gaze. "Wasn't paying enough attention, thought I had it in the clear, as soon as I turned in, I knew the guy had spotted us."_ _

__While expecting a snarky response, he was particularly glad he did not receive one. Due to the fast pace life they each lived, he found the slow down a nice change (and a little bit weird). He never really _talked_ to anyone, sure, he talked to Doc and whoever happened to be in the crew, along with occasionally his neighbor. And he never really had trouble with female attention, but he could never talk _work_ to them, for obvious reasons._ _

__"It was a smart move," he told her, with a nod, sipping at his beer._ _

__She took her glass and took the last remaining swig of the alcohol. They couldn't be friends, or even very well acquainted, due to what type of business they were in (she had no clue how Buddy and Darling made it work, or even how they could take that sort of risk). Maybe she believed she deserved whatever she damn well pleased, but that — sadly — was not how the world worked._ _

__"So," she said with a quirk of her brow and a smirk, "wanna have some fun?"_ _


End file.
